5 Years After
by ThePinkDocMartens
Summary: Set at the end of The Dying Of The Light, In the 5 years here Valkyrie is in America. This is what I think the other characters got up to in that time. I do not own any of the character they belong to the golden god Derek Landy
1. Chapter 1

**All characters belong to Derek Landy :) **

Chapter 1

It felt good to watch Skulduggery throw Ravel into the accelerator, after everything he's done to the people who trusted him. He put the knife through Ghastly's neck. He's the reason Shudder is dead. He used Tanith in her remant state to start the war leading to more deaths. By extension he is the reason my parents know about my other life. The life where I risk my life everyday to save others. Mum still doesn't understand, Dad... well Dad's just Dad he doesn't mind but he worries. Alice doesn't know. She doesn't know what I did and what I will regret for the rest of my life.

"Skulduggery"

"Yes" Skulduggery stood by the accelerator watching Ravel wither.

"I can't do this" He turns to look at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't do this anymore" Gesturing to my surroundings

"Well we are leaving in a minute" he teased

"No, you don't understand. I can't live this life anymore" he doesn't say anything just stands there looking at me with his empty eye sockets. "I'm sorry" I sob, Great now I'm crying! Damn you Skulduggery.

"It's okay" he walks forward and hugs me. "At least you didn't die, everyone else seems to"

"Like your last partner" I say into his chest

"He was a good man, he didn't deserve to die. I did tell him where to walk but he didn't listen" after a while he says "He died screaming my name" At that Skulduggery moves away to assess the accelerator.

"I'm sorry" it was all I could really say, satisfied that the accelerator had done its job Skulduggery turned away from it.

"Come on" I followed him out of the chamber "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure I need to tell Mum and Dad, but I think I'll go to America"

"Why America?"

"Uhhh, Suntan"

"Oh right how could I forget, 'Skulduggery can we go somewhere hot I need to work on my tan'" doing an impression of my voice, which made me laugh. "How could I forget that?"

I smacked his arm "Probably just for a few years though, when I come back we can go back to normal"

"Well we did just save the world from your dark side and stop the accelerator, I think we deserve time off" He joked, it was hard to tell if he was hurt or not.

"Are you okay? I mean when I leave? You're not just going to sulk"

"I'm over 400 years old Valkyrie and you are acting like my mother"

"Sorry"

"Its okay, I'll be fine but if anything happens you phone me, if you get a new phone number you tell me, I want to know your address, who your hanging around with"

"Seriously?"

"Probably not, but I would like to know where you are"

"Fair enough"

"Steph!" Mum screams when she sees me, then she does the unspeakable, she runs over to me picks me up i a bone crushing hug if front of my co-workers

"Mum!" pushing away slightly "You're squishing me"

"I feel I have earn the right to Squish you" she replies putting me down, then I hug dad who is holding Alice. It's easy to forget what I did to her a couple of hours ago. But I still avoid touching her.

"Let's go somewhere else" I suggest, we walk out of the canteen away from everyone's eyes and into a disused office.

"Oh Steph that was awful, what happened out there? Tanith can in to the hospital bit of the place covered in cuts and bruises"

"We're in the Sanctuary mum, but yeah it was awful" taking a deep breath, I notice my father hasny said anything " Dad are you alright?"

"I still can believe Granddad's stories are true"

" I have something I need to tell you" I blink back the tears, I knew this was going to be hard but Jesus not this hard.

"Yes Steph"

"I'm going to America for a while" I blurt out

"What?" they both say in unison

"I need to get out of Ireland for a while, I'm sorry I just need to go" now the tears come and my parent s surround me hugging me with Alice.

"I understand" Mum whispers

I don't hold back the tears anymore, knowing that they could have died and it would be my fault is too much. Getting away for a while is probably best.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, reviews welcome :) I've been thinking about this since I finished the book. **


	2. Chapter 2

Tanith

There both dead! She laid back on the bed while the doctor put some gunk on her cuts and bruises, which she had obtained from the cleaver.

"Don't wipe that off" the doctor told her pointing to the gunk on her torso. Looking at the doctor, she didn't recognise her, Must be new.

"Okay" she stared at the ceiling as the doctor moved off to see some of the other injured people in the room. She saw Saracen the other side of the room with an air mask. Breathing heavily. It brought tears to her eyes. She hoped he didn't die as well. Fetcher was stood with Valkyrie they seemed fine. She couldn't see Dexter Vex anywhere she wondered briefly where he was.

"Hi Tanith" Fletcher said coming to her side and sitting down on the bed .

"Hey Fletch" she replied sitting up, she held her top to stop it being ruined by the gunk which had started to dry.

"You okay?" he asked tentatively

"I don't know" she sobbed openly crying now, she leaned on Fletchers shoulder while he patted her back.

"I know"

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to get over it and you've lost two people"

"Was I really engaged to him?" she asked

"Yeah, It annoyed Ghastly"

"What did he do when he found out?"

"I wasn't there but apparently you and Billy-Ray showed up with Vex and said you wanted to join and Billy-Ray got up in Ghastly's face about it and he punched him... A lot" he chuckled

"Will they let me have the keys to Ghastly's place?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Because the last time I went there was over 2years ago and I miss it"

"I'll go and ask" He stood up to go.

"Wait" he turned to look at her "Where is his body?"

"In the morgue"

"Thanks" she stood up still keeping her top out of the gunk she went to leave but the doctor came back in.

"Back on the bed" she ordered

"I need to-"

"No you don't, you need to rest, there bad cuts you've got" Tanith huffed but got back on the bed, while the doctor when to see about Saracen. Tanith watched as her hands lit up and hovered over Saracens face. His eyes opened and he brought his hands up to take the mask away.

"Ummmmm, Hi Doc" Tanith smirked, quietly she stood and edged her way to the door. Out in the corridor she ran to the Morgue, inside she opened draws to find which one had her friend inside. On the middle shelf in the very middle was Ghastly. He was pale, his lips were blue. It made her want to warm him up. But the big cut in his throat told her he was dead.

"Oh Ghastly" she whispered placing her hand on his cold bold head. She rubbed her thumb over the ridges of his scars. Her vision blurred looking at him. "I'm sorry" moving backwards from his body she sat on the floor looking up at the still open draw. She put her head in her hands and started crying.

"Tanith?" her head shot up smacking into the draws behind her. She yelped and turned towards the voice, which was in the doorway. It was Valkyrie.

"Val?"

"You okay?"

"No" Valkyrie came over and sat on the floor next to her, and pulling her into a hug.

"He kept a picture of you on his desk y'know"

"I don't remember anything" sobbing harder

"Fetcher said you wanted the keys to his place"

"Yeah" she looked at her friend who had just produce a key from her pocket,

"Here" handing it to her. "He would want you to have it"

"Thank you"

* * *

The next day she went back to his shop. Opening the door she was hit by a musky smell underlined with Ghastly's smell. It made her smile a little. Closing the door behind her she walked over to table where he made all the cloths he sold. Random bits of paper were dotted around with his messy scrawl across them. Under the desk was a brown package. There was a note on the top. She picked it up and read the note.

_To Tanith, _

_I'm not sure when I am actually sure when I was going to give you this but you were always complaining you were cold, so I kinda made you these I hope you like them. _

Underneath that was another note

_Steak on Thursday maybe?_

_Ghastly _

Steak. He promised her steak, then she got a stupid remnant stuck in her. Opening the package she took out a pair of brown leather trousers, top and pair of boots, on a closer inspection she saw that they were made of the same material as Valkyrie's cloths. Putting on the outfit she noticed that they fit perfectly, not to tight and not to lose.

She missed him. She walked around his house for the rest of the way, and went to sleep on the comfortable sofa in his living room.

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**Thanks for reading :) **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Fletcher

"Hey Val" he shouted to Valkyrie as she left the canteen. Making her jump, she turned and glared at him.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering... Well I said to Tanith I would ask, but is she allowed the key to Ghastly's place?" she looked shocked.

"Ummmmm, I think Skulduggery has it I'll ask him."

"Thanks"

"Where is going to be?"

"I think she's going to see Ghastly" he mumbled quietly

"Okay I need to say Goodbye"

"Goodbye?"

"I'm moving away for a while"

"Why?" Shocked

"Because I did thinks I'm not proud of "

"We all did Valkyrie!" his temper was rising at the fact she was leaving.

"Oh what did you do Fletcher!" her temper was rising as well as she poked him in the chest.

Her question had him stumped he hadn't done anything he would regret, but then neither had she, had she.

"Well what did you do?" she asked him again

"Nothing that I would regret" he said firmly "And neither did you"

She faltered at his words he hadn't seen.

"I did" she whispered looking at her boots, making his temper dissipate.

"Whatever you did, you did to save everyone" she looked up at him and there were tears in her eyes.

"It's not the point! What I did I'll never be able to take back" she snapped

"What did you do? If it's so bad What did you do?"

"I killed Alice" she muttered

"No you didn't, She's in there" he said pointing in to the canteen "With your parents" he felt sorry for her.

"No I brought her back after"

"Well that makes you a better person, if you were bad you wouldn't have brought her back"

"No, if I was a good person I wouldn't have killed her in the first place"

That had him for words, she had a point.

"Live in the fact that she's alive now, if anything relish in that"

"I can't look at her without thinking about what I did" she paused "That's why I have to leave" with that she walked off down the corridor.

"Don't forget to ask Skulduggery" he shouted after her.

* * *

**Sorry it's a bit short. :) thanks for reading **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Vex

He felt like he was dying. Sugar cookies he hurt. His throat felt like someone had shoved there arm down it. He looked at the sky just like he had been doing for the last couple of hours. Or minutes. The wall to his right looked like it had a body imprint in it.

I guess I hit that he thinks to himself, he chuckled at the thought but quickly regretted it, as it hurt his ribs. Great cracked ribs.

After a couple of hours he heard someone walk past.

"Hello" the voice called searching for survivors, Vex made grunting noise to get the passer bys attention.

"Hello" the voice called out again. He grunted louder. The whole situation reminded him of that scene from the _Titanic _when she was calling to the lifeboat. "Hey are you alive over there?" Vex moved his arm slightly.

"Holy- WE'VE GOT A LIVE ONE OVER HERE" the voice shouted to someone. The voice got closer as it said "Alright we'll save you" the person came into his eye line and was pleased to see it was Tipstaff's assistant .

"We are taking you to the medical wing now" Medical wing who calls it a medical wing! They started to move his body onto a stretcher but the pain was too much and he blacked out.

When he woke up he was no longer outside, but inside a white room with bleeping machines around him. He tried to sit up but found he had IV lines in his arms and a mask over his face gushing oxygen against his face.

"Uggggghhh" he tried to speak, but found his tongue to heavy to move.

"Stay still" a female voice snapped entering the room "I've had enough of patients trying to move when they are injured" she came closer to identify herself as Doctor Synecdoche.

"Hwe Dwc" he slurred

"Morning, you were in a state when then they brought you in" she chuckled then went serious "But don't do it again" she checked his vitals and clip board then left to deal with the next patient without another word.

"You looked bad when they brought you in" Saracen said from the bed next to him. Vex turned his head to see his fellow Dead Man with a mask similar to his own around his neck and limbs in healing mud.

"Wwhet happwened to you" his speech was returning to him.

"Not sure, you?"

Vex just shrugged his response.

"Valkyrie, Skulduggery and Fletcher are okay" Vex nodded "Tanith left before Doctor Synecdoche could heal her but apparently"

"Oh"

"I've only been awake for about an hour"

Shortly after that he fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Skulduggery

Two days after Valkyrie left.

"So are you going to get a new partner now?" Saracen asked as Skulduggery sat with him and Vex in the medical wing. He still hadn't told them what he did to Ravel; he wasn't sure what they would say about it.

"I'm not sure yet" he sat in between their beds, in the two days that they had been here they had been moved into a private room because they needed the space for other patients.

"She might not like it y'know" Vex chirped

"What do you mean?"

"When she comes back, she might not like the fact that you replaced her"

"Oh god, I'll never hear the end of it" Skulduggery chuckled

"Has Tanith come back yet?" Saracen asked shifting into a sitting position

"No, I know where she is so I'll call in later" Skulduggery told him

"Ummmm, Doctor Synecdoche keeps asking about her apparently she didn't come back to have her injuries taken care of"

"When I'll bring her back" Skulduggery assured him, he knew Saracen and Tanith had a thing a while back, he wondered if there was anything there still.

"You better, if Ghastly was here he wouldn't have let her leave" Vex said sadly.

"I'll see you later" Skulduggery told them standing up to leave but Saracens questioned him.

"What became of Ravel?"

"He's dead" Skulduggery said with his back to them and left.

* * *

Walking up to Ghastly's shop Skulduggery saw that he could see someone was inside. The lights were on in the shop and someone was walking about. As he got closer he heard music playing. The Beatles 'Here comes the sun' if he wasn't mistaken. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again and this time the music was turned down.

"Hello" a British voice called out

"Hello Tanith" Skulduggery called back. He heard loads of banging and cursing as Tanith fell over on her way to the door.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you" as she opened the door, he noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual attire, but tight brown protective trousers and long sleeve t shirt which was green. The trousers were made of the same thing Valkyrie's cloths were made out of.

"It's okay, new cloths?"

"Yeah, um, Ghastly made them" she looked a bit sheepish "I found them under his desk when I came in the other day"

"Didn't he make a top to go with it?" he questioned

"Yeah but it hurts to much to put it on, Broken ribs and all" she smiled

"I've got to take you back to the sanctuary to see the doctor"

"Yeah" she lost her smile "Okay" she moved away to get her coat, he looked around and saw that Tanith had been cleaning, nothing had been moved but there was no dust anymore.

"I thought I would clean up at bit in here" she said noticing that he was looking around.

* * *

Back at in the medical wing, Tanith was put in the same room as Saracen and Vex.

"Now say there and don't move" Doctor Synecdoche said to Tanith. Skulduggery was back in his chair in between the beds.

"For how long?"

"At least a day or two" Doctor Synecdoche replied before leaving the room.

"Urgghhhh"

"Hey you have us three to talk to" Saracen grinned

"Urghhhhhh"

"That was rude" Vex mumbled

"So is kidnapping a baby" Tanith snapped

"Low blow Tanith, Low blow"

"Sorry"

"It's okay"

"Is what Val said true?"

"Yeah"

"Okay" she put her head back on the pillows looking at the ceiling.

"What really happened to Ravel Skulduggery?"

"A soul willingly given" he muttered

"He actually got in the accelerator"

"No, I put him in the accelerator"

"Is it going to blow"

"No, not anymore"

No one said anything.

* * *

**Thanks :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

One week after the events of Dying of the Light

Tanith and Saracen

"Hey" Tanith said as she walked into Saracens hospital room, he had been off the oxygen for a while now and had the colour back in his checks. His hair spiked up in every direction which in Tanith's eyes was called 'Bed Hair'.

"Morning" he replied sitting up. He had a newspaper to his left and a jug of water to his left.

"Who's hospital treating ya'"

"Ermm, it okay" he said thoughtfully "Rather be at home"

"Well today's your lucky day" Tanith told him brightly "Your going home" a grin over took his face .

"Awwww thank god!" he proclaimed.

"The Doctor told me to tell you seeing as she has other people to attend to, so here I am"

"Okay, my clothes are over there, could you pass them over to me" pointing to a chair in the corner of the room.

"Sure, I'll just wait out here" passing his clothes to him and leaving the room. Outside mages passed getting on with their everyday activities, but they had changed she noticed. They had more of a spring in their step; even the grumpy man sat in the corner crying for Scapegrace was a little more cheerful.

After about 5 minutes Saracen came out of his room looking clean and refreshed his hair much to Tanith's disappointment had been combed. She reached up a scuffed up his hair making it messy again. Only to realize that he had some sort of gel in it, this was now all over her hand.

"Urgh"

"That's what you get for messing up my hair" he laughed leaving his hair all spiky.

"It looks better when you don't flattener it back you never used to" she mumbled looking at her boots.

"Yeah... well time have changed" when she didn't reply he added "Got to keep up with the fashion" he chuckled.

She cracked a smile "Well you were always fashion conscious"

"Yeah, Ghastly knew that well" he said off the bat without realize what he said. When he did he looked at Tanith and inwardly winced; she was on the verge of tears. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry" he said quietly.

"It okay" she said pulling away and going to the ladies room.

"Great well done Saracen you've upset her" he said to himself.

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**Thanks for the reviews guys! thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Vex was still in hospital. All of his friends had been released already, but Doctor Synecdoche wanted him to stay in for observation, which is fair enough seen as she's the doctor here. But god! It's so boring.

"Can I leave yet?" he asked her

"No, I still need you in for observation" she replied while checking his clipboard and vital signs.

"I'm alive, I'm alive" he snapped, waving her hands away.

"Alright, I'm going to keep you in for a little while longer" he sighed so she added "You shouldn't have survived what you went through"

"I wish I didn't" he said quietly

"Don't speak like that" clocking him on the back of the head

"Sorry" he mumbled slightly

"So you should be, you don't realize what you mean to the people around you" with that she left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

About an hour of counting the tiles on the roof he heard someone enter his little room. Looking up he saw the face of Clarabelle.

"Ummmm, Hi" he said unsure

"Hi, I'm Clarabelle" she replied brightly "Everyone said they thought you were gonna die"

"Oh"

"But you didn't"

"Is there something you wanted?"

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you because I know what you've been through and if you wanted to talk about it I'm here" she swirled and skipped out of the room.

"Thanks" he said just as she was about to leave the room, she turned and flashed him a bright smile.

Even though he was warmed by the offer, he didn't know if she truly knew what she was on about. But still the offer was nice. He slowly started to drift off to sleep, but was rudely awakened by Saracen tripping over the threshold of the room.

"You are right there mate" he chuckled

"Yeah damn door frame"

"Eejit"

"Says the one bed ridden" sitting next to his bed.

"What's going on in the world?" he jested

"Well where to start, ummm, Tanith cleaned up Ghastly's place. Err Valkyrie's gone to America, Skulduggery's gone quiet, I haven't seen him since Val left but I think he's gone to America to see if she's settled in, but other than that nothing been happening"

"I want to get out of here"

"You say that, but when you have to go back to work you'll be wanting to be back in this bed" kicking the side of the bed

"That bad huh!"

"Yep, it's so boring there is no one's trying to take over the world or bring back the Faceless Ones" he smiled "Oh yeah Tanith said she's popping by later"

"Okay" he smiled well if he can't get to his friends, his friends will come to him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

She danced around the living room to 'Fall Out Boy's Centuries' while cleaning Ghastly's house and shop. She wasn't going to name it anything else because it will always be Ghastly's place, no matter what people say.

"Some legends are told some turn to dust or to gold, But you'll remember me for centuries" she sang at the top of her lungs. Until someone coughed behind her.

"Eiiik" she screamed turning around and seeing Vex in the doorway. "Hey your out of hospital!" she stated before he thought she was weird.

"Yeah, got out this morning, just going around saying hi to everyone before I leave?" he said smoothly

"Leave?" she questioned turning down her music

"Yeah, I need a new adventure, new scene"

"Cool, so where are you going?"

"Everywhere and anywhere?"

"Nice for some" Putting her duster on the sofa. Vex stood sheepishly in the doorway.

"You could come with me you know" she looked up at him shocked

"Ummmm, I think, errrmmm, I don't know" she stammered

"It's okay if you don't you know" he added quickly

"Oh no, I mean, I would it's just I think I'm needed here" she added just as quick "but I really do appreciate the offer though, but y'know" she gestured to her surroundings

"It's okay I understand, I've gotta go now" he said awkwardly, shuffling to the door way

"Sorry" she mumbled

"its okay" he muttered walking out the door. Sitting down on the sofa she thought about her life and what she should do next, with Val going to America and Ghastly... well you know. Vex going on his adventures. She didn't know what she was going to do, she couldn't stay at Ghastly's place for the rest of her life, he must have left it to someone in hi will, a family member or something.

"You hoo" a voice called, And Tanith inwardly groaned all she wanted to do now was sleep.

"In here Saracen" she called

"Well aren't you a bundle of laughs tonight" he joked, resulting in her throwing her duster at him – which he caught and flung back but missed her by a mile.

"That was terrible" she laughed

"Good to see you laughing again"

"It been a while, you seen Vex on your travels?"

"Yeah he told me he was leaving"

"Yeah, Tea?"

"No thanks"

"Well I'm going to make one, make yourself comfy"

"Tanith we're reading Ghastly's will tomorrow" Saracen said in a flat tone

"Ok" she replied quietly, going in to the kitchen and sobbing, she heard Saracen mutter "Sorry" and "Bye" and the front door closing.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :) **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

He didn't like the idea that she was leaving. It was going to be lonely, no one to run around stopping, no threat of the faceless ones returning. All in all life is boring, but something played at the back of his mind what if someone decides to take it upon themselves to kill her thinking she's still Darquesse. He decided that for the first couple of days he was going to stay with her just to make sure no one tried anything.

"Skulduggery you really don't have to stay here you know" she insisted for the tenth time.

"I just have to be sure this is a good idea"

"Fine" she sighed "if you're going to stay can you get some food, I haven't got any yet"

"Okay" picking up his hat and coat "Anything in particular?"

"Ermmmm, I'm tempted to say chocolate but seeing as I'm probably going to be living off it for a couple of days, frozen food, canned food something that will keep" she said thoughtfully

"Okay, see you in a bit" he walked out the front door. On the way to the shops in the Bentley he realized how far away she lived from the nearest shop. He drove about 5 miles then got to a small town. After driving up all the roads he found 1 food store. He tapped the sigils on his collarbone and a face flowed over his skull, looking in the mirror he saw he had blue eyes, light short brown hair, a sharp nose and moustache. Nodding his approval he walked in, the bell tinkled signalling to whoever worked here knew someone was in their shop. He instantly liked it, it was small but not too small. It reminded him of the shop on _Open All Hours _it had everything there, the only thing he couldn't find was the baskets.

"Can I help you sir?" an American accent said from the counter the other end of shop, looking down he saw a lad about Valkyrie's age, quiet tall and skinny.

"Yes, I'm looking for the baskets"

"Baskets?" the word sounded funny with his accent

"You know to put products in while I'm walking around"

The lad seemed to come to his senses "Oh right sorry" he came around the counter carrying a basket "I forgot to put them out" handing Skulduggery the basket

"Thank you" he walked around amusing himself on what he could buy Valkyrie, mushy peas? But then he would never hear the end of it. So instead he got her frozen meals, frozen peas and sweetcorn, chicken, bake beans, spaghetti, rice, coffee, tea, hoops, crisps and tinned tomatoes.

At the till the lad started talking to him again

"You're not from around here" it was more of a statement than a question.

"No, I'm not"

"I'm Danny" holding out his hand.

"Detective Me" shaking his hand.

"Me?" ringing the items through the till.

"Yes Me not you"

"Okay, that's $35"

"Card?"  
"Yep"

Walking out the shop he needed to tell Valkyrie about him when he got back. Didn't talk much and was helpful – she would like that.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – going home

"Saracen?" Tanith called as she knocked on his apartment door

"Yes" he replied smoothly opening the door.

"You knew I was there didn't you!"

"Yep, See I have this power where I just know things" he smiled leaning up the door frame

"Yeah I heard about that power" she paused " So, I was wondering if you wanted to come out with me tomorrow?"

This shocked him, they had a relationship before but

"Ummm, What as in a date?" her mortified look told him it wasn't the case.

"No, doesn't matter I'll ask someone else" she turned to walk off, but was stopped by his hand on her arm.

"No wait, Sorry I was thinking that because of the past, but I can see that's not the case" he tried

"It's okay, I just wanted someone to come with me when I go and see my parents tomorrow, their coming over and I haven't seen them since" she paused "Y'know before the remnant thing and Ghastly"

"Okay, I'll go with you" he smiled "What time?"

"Seven, Thank you" she beamed

* * *

Skulduggery walked into the airport leaving Valkyrie was hard, he'd known her since she was what? 12. But she needed time, everyone did they just didn't realize it. Some ran away like Vex who decided he was going to go adventuring again to get away from the pain, Fletcher went to Haggard to watch over Valkyrie's family, Skulduggery remembered him saying 'If Val isn't going to be here to look out for them then I will' That day Skulduggery gave Fletcher more respect than he ever had, Tanith was moving back in with her parents, Saracen was... well being Saracen. No one attended the reading of Ghastly's will the pain of watching his possessions being passed out to whom he had left it, was too much for everyone to bare. Ghastly, Shudder and Ravel weren't mentioned anymore, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"Sir, are you moving forward or what?" an annoyed American accent reached his ears.

"Sorry" moving towards the gate, he could have easily asked Fletcher to pick him up, but like everyone else he need time on his own. He was on auto pilot going through the terminals and eventually getting on to the plane, all the while thinking about what the porcelain men showed him. His Wife. His Child. His Friends. Did he deserve to be there with them? Should he go to them? He kept thinking these thoughts, a tear fell down his fake face. If he went to them he would be throwing in the towel, giving up on everything. Everything he worked for down the drain. It was on that plane ride where he decided what he was going to do next.

Next you ask.

Next is the new adventure, continuing what he had been doing for the last god knows how long. But this time he was going to do what Valkyrie had asked and reclaim his family crest. Instead of running from his past, he was going to embrace it. He smiled out the window as a the man sat beside him elbowed him in the ribs, no doubt the man felt his ribs he turned to see his face wasn't scared but shocked.

"You need to eat more mate"

"I know my wife says the same thing" he chuckled

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**Sorry I'm not really sure where this has gone, but Thanks for reading :) **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

He sat in the train station waiting for his train to arrive. He sat looking at the track, there were four then another platform and a track the other side of that platform. To get to the other platform there was a foot bridge with an elevator so people with suitcases didn't have to lug their cases down the steps.

That didn't stop one person dragging their bag down the steps though.

_Bang bang bang _the case hit each step letting everyone in the station know some one was walking down the steps. He tried to ignore it but the sound kept going. Looking towards the steps he saw and awkward looking man. Trying and failing to keep hold of his luggage. As he reached the bottom step he tripped and his rucksack flew out of his hands and landed at Vex's feet.

"Sorry" the man stuttered "Sorry" he reached Vex's feet and stooped to pick up his bag.

"S'okay" Vex told the man, it wasn't till then he got a good look at his face before he turned away "Wait! Don't I know you?"

"No you don't Mr Vex" the man kept his face turned away.

"Yeah, then how do you know my name?"

"Your... Your a dead man, everyone knows who they are"

"Yeah, But its normally a gaggle of people cowering away to shy to ask for a autograph"

"There's a crowed over there" the man pointed toward people leaving a train. He looked familiar but he couldn't place his face.

"No, there not here to see me they have just got off a train"

"Oh, well small world huh!" the man went to move away but Vex stood up grabbing his arm

"Who are you?"

"No one"

"No really who are you?"

"No one, my name is No one"

"Really" disbelief crossed his face

"Yeah, so when people say stupid things on facebook, I can like it and they get a notification saying 'No one likes this'"

"Wow" shocked, that's so sad Vex thought.

"Pretty cool huh!"

"Yeah, if your 3" he couldn't help it, he had to say it. The man looked a little deflated. "Are you sure we haven't met before, I recognise your face"

"I have one of them faces" the man smiled

"Damn you, your as cryptic as one of my friends" he said more to himself then the man.

"Ahh, alas I get that a lot" now he wanted to punch the man for using the word 'alas' in a moment that wasn't ironic.

"Oh look there's my next train" No one chirped, pointing to a train that had just stopped "Have a nice day"

Vex sat down again as No one stumbled away. He leaned his head back on the bench and closed his eyes, a couple of minutes later he felt a light tap on his arm. Opening one eye he saw a little girl no more than 9 stood before him.

"Hello?" he said uncertain on what was happening

"Hi" she waved shyly "Could I have your autograph please Mr Vex"

"Sure, What's your name?" as she passed him a pen and paper.

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**Thank you for reading so far :) Reviews welcome :) **


	12. Chapter 12 Part One

Chapter 12 – part one

_One year after the events of Dying of the Light_

"Today we are here today to commemorate those who died last year against Darquesse" China told the crowd. "Some of you would have known those who fell, and those who betrayed us" she thought about what Ravel did to Ghastly and Shudder.

"So there is going to be speeches about the dead from their closes friends" China announced, looking out over a sea of faces some of them familiar, and some, well she had never seen before. It had taken them this long to sort of what had happened and compile a list of those who died.

"Fletcher Renn" Fletcher stood from his chair and walked to the stairs leading up to the stage, when he arrived at the eagle footed stand, pulling his speech out of his pocket he placed it on the eagle's wings. Clearing his throat he began.

"Ghastly Bespoke, was one of my best friends when I first came to Ireland I wasn't sure what he was about, and probably insulted him by asking Valkyrie about his scars and hiding away from them. But over a couple of weeks I realized he was just a normal guy getting on with his life." He looked out over the same faces he had been looking back at him over the last year. "He was always a guy who I could go and talk to, may not sound much but that's how we were. I have always lacked a father figure in my life and Ghastly was that for me, a father figure. And it kills me to know that he was killed by someone he trusted" he hadn't finished his speech but had to get off the stage, so he did something he knew how to do well. He teleported.

"Um... it's not hard to understand that talking like this about friends or family like this" China stumbled, she had never seen Fletcher act like this normally he was calm cool and collective. "But this is a time when we need to be close and help those around us get over our grief, up next is Mr. Saracen Rue"

Saracen stood and walked the same path Fletcher had just trodden. When he reached the stand he stood in silence for a couple of minutes just listening.

"Some of my friends were killed that day" Simple statement "Two of them were killed by a man I classed as my equal, we walked in and out of wars as a team and then he killed others in that team. The moment he betrayed us was the moment he stopped being a Dead Man. Today we are remembering those who were killed, but you can't help remember those who caused all the death" he looked down at his speech cards realized he hadn't read any of them. "I seem to have not read any of my cards. I'm sorry" he sensed that some people understood and that some were angry for bring _him_ up when they were meant to be respecting the dead. "I realize that this is event was meant to be remembering the dead, but I'd rather we honour those still living. No one could have defeated Darquesse one their own. So thank you everyone" he bowed from the waist and exited the stage.

End of part one


	13. Chapter 12 Part Two

Chapter 12 – part one

_One year after the events of Dying of the Light_

"Today we are here today to commemorate those who died last year against Darquesse" China told the crowd. "Some of you would have known those who fell, and those who betrayed us" she thought about what Ravel did to Ghastly and Shudder.

"So there is going to be speeches about the dead from their closes friends" China announced, looking out over a sea of faces some of them familiar, and some, well she had never seen before. It had taken them this long to sort of what had happened and compile a list of those who died.

"Fletcher Renn" Fletcher stood from his chair and walked to the stairs leading up to the stage, when he arrived at the eagle footed stand, pulling his speech out of his pocket he placed it on the eagle's wings. Clearing his throat he began.

"Ghastly Bespoke, was one of my best friends when I first came to Ireland I wasn't sure what he was about, and probably insulted him by asking Valkyrie about his scars and hiding away from them. But over a couple of weeks I realized he was just a normal guy getting on with his life." He looked out over the same faces he had been looking back at him over the last year. "He was always a guy who I could go and talk to, may not sound much but that's how we were. I have always lacked a father figure in my life and Ghastly was that for me, a father figure. And it kills me to know that he was killed by someone he trusted" he hadn't finished his speech but had to get off the stage, so he did something he knew how to do well. He teleported.

"Um... it's not hard to understand that talking like this about friends or family like this" China stumbled, she had never seen Fletcher act like this normally he was calm cool and collective. "But this is a time when we need to be close and help those around us get over our grief, up next is Mr. Saracen Rue"

Saracen stood and walked the same path Fletcher had just trodden. When he reached the stand he stood in silence for a couple of minutes just listening.

"Some of my friends were killed that day" Simple statement "Two of them were killed by a man I classed as my equal, we walked in and out of wars as a team and then he killed others in that team. The moment he betrayed us was the moment he stopped being a Dead Man. Today we are remembering those who were killed, but you can't help remember those who caused all the death" he looked down at his speech cards realized he hadn't read any of them. "I seem to have not read any of my cards. I'm sorry" he sensed that some people understood and that some were angry for bring _him_ up when they were meant to be respecting the dead. "I realize that this is event was meant to be remembering the dead, but I'd rather we honour those still living. No one could have defeated Darquesse one their own. So thank you everyone" he bowed from the waist and exited the stage.

End of part one


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"SARACEN" Vex shouted as he walked into his friends house

"What?!" came a muffled reply from up the stairs. Vex decided he wasn't going to go up there, he knew Saracen too well, and upstairs was going to be a tip.

"I'm putting the kettle on, I'm not shouting up to you" he shouted, now he sounded like his mother.

"I'm tired" and there's Vex at age 17.

"I'm not going to shout again" he muttered the same words his mother shouted to him all them years ago. He then started to unpack the bag he brought with him. Bacon baps and a cup of coffee that what he needed.

As soon as the bacon started cooking he heard bumping and grumbling coming from up stairs. Bacon had drawn him out of his pit. Vex started to put bacon on bits of bread and coffee into cups just as Saracen walked into the room.

"Do you know what time it is!" he grumbled

"Morning'" Vex replied brightly looking at the clock he said "Its nine in the morning"

"It's early" seeing the bacon and coffee he added "I see you have to courtesy to make breakfast" he sat down and grabbed one of the bacon rolls.

"What do you want?" he said through mouthfuls of food.

"I don't know how to explain it" he sat too and rubbed his hand down his face. "Well I was on the way to the shops and there was this woman and well she got mugged, so I chased after the muggers and got her bag back"

"And this is the reason you got me up at stupid o'clock"

"No I haven't finished, but the mugger was a mage too. And he ran down an alley way, I followed. When he stopped he turned and looked at me. And said he knew the truth about Ravel and that they were trying to make a comeback. I told him Ravel was dead. He said I know, but the children of the spider are rising again"

Saracen just looked at him. "And what did you do?"

"Shot him"

"You shot him"

"Yep and gave the woman back her handbag"

"You shot someone, what with?"

"My gun"

"Didn't the woman hear the shot?"

"No she was deaf and didn't understand that I was trying to give her, her bag back. When I gave it her she started hitting me with it"

Saracen couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not funny, it hurt"

"It is, if you get me up this early I'm going to laugh at what you say"

"Hummh"

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"China wants to see you"

"Okay"

"By the way your clocks wrong"

"Is it?" he turned to look at the clock. "What time is it?"

"Three in the afternoon"

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**Hi, Just want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. **

**reviews welcome :) k**


	15. China and Eliza

China and Eliza

She lived for this. She had people waiting on her hand and foot, so she was happy.

With a pile of paperwork in front of her and an endless supply of tea from Tipstaff; life was pretty good.

That was until she heard someone's forced cough at her door. Dragging her head up slowly, she looked into the murky depths of Eliza Scorn's eyes. Since the incident with Darquesse, she hadn't heard of or see Eliza.

"Eliza, Don't you look hideous" she said sweetly, taking in Eliza's appearance. Her once white cashmere jumper was a dull shade of brown, blue jeans caked with mud a dotted with holes. Her hair which was once a vibrant red that drew every eye in the room was now knotted mud filled red. And the smell! She smelt like someone who had been camped out in the sewers for the last couple of days.

"HOW COUD YOU! Eliza screeched clutching her hair and pulling, watching as a clumps of red hair hung from her fingers, and screeched again.

"How could I do what?" China smiled, loving how she was having this effect on the woman.

"You – You brought down the Church of the Faceless Ones!" Eliza screeched again, more hair coming out of her head and landing in a pile on the floor.

"If you keep pulling your hair out you won't left" China told her "and as for the Church of the Faceless Ones, you had it coming"

"How could the Church have deserved that? We were nothing compared to what you have now" Eliza put her hands up and gestured to the room.

"Now you know what it is like to lose something you love" China's eye's turned hard and stern.

"What did I ever do to you?" Eliza started to get angrier, this woman – this woman had destroyed what everything she held dear, everything she worked hard to build up and she sent the Cleavers in and arrested everyone that was in the building for, attempted murder.

"You obviously don't remember what you did to my library" China stood and placed her palms on the desk, discreetly covering the sigils she carved there. "You blew it up and told Skulduggery and Valkyrie about my past. Did you really think I wouldn't get my revenge" China kept her voice as even as possible. "I worked my whole life to build that collection, what you made was a strand of hair compared to my library"

"Who were we supposedly going to kill then" Eliza pulled a face.

"Me, and you almost did once"

"But that was years ago"

"But it still happened"

"But-"

"What sort of leader would I be if I let you get away with that?"

"You aren't going to kill me!" Eliza said jutting her chin out "you wouldn't do that, murder is bad for a leader" China couldn't help but laugh, Eliza thought she cared about what people thought of her? Then she was the fool. Every other mage that had taken the seat of Grand Mage was killed by people they thought they knew or thrown in prison. But China happened to like the situation she was in, she could decide on someone's fate. Normally she would be lax on the accused like she was with the people at the church. She had only placed that order to flush Eliza out and it worked, Eliza had been forced on to the streets and had been there since the order was given out, a week ago.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you Eliza" she smiled sweetly, making Eliza feel sick to the stomach. "I'm going to make your life a living hell"

"What? I could leave now if I wanted to y'know"

"I would like to see you try Eliza, but I have every Cleaver available outside my office and you just admitted to trying to kill you Grand Mage"

This time Eliza was almost sick,

"I'm not going to prison China, we were like sisters" Eliza pleaded

"Yes that may be so, but you just said a special word in that sentence 'we were'"

"No" Eliza turned to run out of the room, but face planted a cleaver chest.

"Take her to the gaol please" China watched as they dragged Eliza from the room kicking and screaming.

Smiling again she thought Life is good. Sitting down she continued with her paperwork.

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**Thank you for the review lionsandtrolls. **

**Sorry I haven't posted in this story for a while, but I'm going to try and upload more regularly now. :) **


	16. Changes

Changes

Even after a year people still looked at her like she was going to kill them. It was easy to tell people that the remnant wasn't there anymore, but it was harder to convince people it was true.

Zipping through the streets of Roarhaven on her motorbike, she ignored the disgusted looks she received, half because of what happened to her and half because Roarhaven had become a popular place and not the run down town no one wanted to enter. Tanith didn't have a problem with them anymore mainly because she couldn't remember what she had done when the remnant was inside her. When she first 'came back' she couldn't walk down the street without someone trying to kill her – thank to Ravel.

At heart it was Ravels fault any of this happened if he hadn't done anything the sanctuary wouldn't have been moved, Davina Marr would be in prison. The English grand mange wouldn't have been killed by her, the children of the spider wouldn't have held any power.

The dead men would still be together.

Ghastly wouldn't be dead.

As it was Ravel killed them all. Their blood was on his hands, but he got what was coming to him in the end.

Walking into the Sanctuary had gotten a job as China's bodyguard.

The joys.

As Tanith made her way towards China's mirrored office and heard screaming.

She panicked slightly and ran towards the sound, Rounding the corner she saw Eliza Scorn being dragged away by cleavers. Eliza's eyes were frantic, when she saw Tanith watching she started screaming for her.

"TANITH!" She screamed eye's wide with fear "HELP ME! THERE GOING TO LOCK ME UP!"

Tanith just watched as the woman was dragged further down the corridor. In away she was responsible for what happened to the English grand mage, if she hadn't told Remnant Tanith where to go to find the dagger than he wouldn't have died.

"You probably deserve it" Tanith muttered to herself, walking into China's office.

"What was that/2

"Nothing" she paused "you been having problems with the Faceless ones church?" nodding her head out the door.

"Oh no! I just have a problem with Eliza"

"Fair enough" Tanith shrugged, sinking into one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Anything need doing?"

"No, I don't really need your services anymore Tanith, I have all the cleavers I could ever want, so I have no use for you"

Ouch.

"Then why did you keep employing me?" Tanith asked getting agitated at the Grand Mage.

"Because it's what Ghastly would have wanted" China said blankly.

"Ummm" Tanith couldn't bring herself to look at the other woman and she couldn't get over the fact that Ghastly had died and she couldn't remember it ever happening.

"I do have a job that just opened up you can have" Tanith's head shot up.

"What is it?"

"Head of Security"

"Oh." She was a little deflated

"If you don't want the job that I'll give it someone else, and you can go back to England" China snapped

"Hey" Tanith snapped back "Why would you give me a job here? Its not like we've ever actually got on. The main reason we spoke before was because of Val"

"What do you call the last year?"

"I was your bodyguard, that's different"

"Yes, but I thought we'd become friends over that time" China smiled, a smile that would make anyone else week at the knees, the smile didn't have any effect on Tanith though.

"You don't have friends China, you have spies"

"Skulduggery is my friend, Tipstaff is my friend"

"You also killed Skulduggery's family, and Tipstaff only brings you coffee and tea" Tanith retorted

"I didn't kill them, Serpine did"

"But you lead them there"

"Fine I have their blood on my hands, me and Skulduggery patched it over; and it isn't like you're an angel" China looked down her nose at Tanith.

"What do I have to do for the job?" Tanith changed the subject, not comfortable talking about her past.

"Just make sure all the cleavers training is up to date, creating the time tables for the cleavers that sort of stuff"

The work load didn't seem much, and if she stayed she also got to see her Irish friends.

"Fine, I'll take the job£

"Ah good, by the way there is a uniform" China smiled smugly.

"I'm not wearing a uniform" Tanith growled

"You can't seriously want to wear all that leather" China replied in disgust.

"Yes I do want to wear my leather"

"Why?" China couldn't understand why anyone would want to wear it.

"Because I look good in it" Tanith replied leaving the office, towards the cleaver's barracks.

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**Thanks for reading :) **


	17. I'M BACK

**I'm Back **

Form this point on Valkyrie has returned to Ireland.

"VAL!" Tanith screamed as she saw her old friend walk through the door to China's office. That morning China had called everyone in the gang to her office. When Tanith walked into the office half an hour ago, Dexter Vex, Saracen Rue, China Sorrows and Tipstaff sprawled across the chairs in the room. Well apart from China she sat elegantly in her desk chair. No one said anything so they were left in a comfortable silence. Until Valkyrie walked in.

Tanith launched herself at her friend hugging her so tight she thought she was going to snap.

"I missed you" Tanith whispered

"I missed you too" Val whispered back. Behind her Skulduggery walked through the door, and shook hands and hugged his friends.

"Are you back for good now?" Tanith asked pulling away.

"Yeah" Valkyrie smiled. Happy to be back with her friends "I can't stay long I've got to go and see mum, dad and Alice" she added her smile fading a little.

"Hey, don't frown they've been fine, Fletcher and I checked up on them every once in a while" Tanith consoled.

"Thanks, I feel really bad, It should have been me doing that"

"Go to them now, they're excited to have you back" Tanith smiled as her friend turned and left the room.

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**Sorry it's a bit of a short one :) enjoy **


	18. This is who I am now

This is who I am now.

I'm the girl in dressed in black, saving mortals from unknown dangers.

That's what she liked to think on occasions like this. Occasions where she is faced with the prospect of facing the ones she loved again, alive and dead. Occasions where she ignores the glares she receives off of those she passes.

Because she is also the girl they hate. For years she battled with her inner demons – her inner self. She battled with the name that brought out another side of her. The name which when uttered scared the masses.

The name the psychics had nightmares about. The one everyone was worried about.

Darquesse.

Valkyrie couldn't control that side of her, she tried too but it never worked the other her would kick in and stop her. When Darquesse came out to play, Valkyrie knew that someone was going to die.

People always died.

And Valkyrie hated it.

But with that name came the memories, the memories of her friends talking about how they were going to protect themselves from her. Little did they know that the one everyone feared was sat in within their circle. She remembered when Skulduggery said that he would do anything and everything he could to protect her and her family when Darquesse finally took over. And when they finally thought of a way to keep Darquesse contained, Skulduggery said that he would sit and watch over her body while it was in the pyramid, which would keep her body alive but her mind dormant.

She loved him more then, then she ever had.

Valkyrie took a deep breath as she stood over the road from her parents house, the Umpa Lumpa sat in the driveway, the Umpa Lumpa being the orange car with green interior her mother and her father gave her for her eighteenth birthday.

She smiled at the memories that car held.

Then she frowned. She remembered the hurt her parents had gone through when she told them about the magic their family held and since she was eleven, she'd been helping Skulduggery solve cases. Including the murder of her uncle Gorgon.

She saved her father the knowledge of his brother essence being kept alive in the Echo stone. But her other side had wiped it and replaced her own essence in it, to hide from her and Skulduggery.

Walking up to the house, she noticed the changes,

On either side of the front door they had hung handing baskets, overflowing with flowers. There was now a hedge going around the front of the garden with a little gate's on the front of the drive way and the garden path.

Opening the gate, Valkyrie walked down the path towards the front door and knocked. After a couple of minutes when there was no answer she knocked again.

"Dad" she shouted hammering her fist into the door again.

"Daddy" she heard a little voice whine, Alice.

"Alice" Valkyrie asked through the door

"Daddy there's someone at the door and they know my name" her little sister cried, breaking Valkyrie's heart.

"Alice, that's your sister" Her father cooed, opening the door. "Steph" he said pulling her into a tight hug.

"Dad" she cried into his shoulder. "I missed you" over the years when she was in America she still spoke to her parents on the phone, but it had been a while since she's seen them.

"We missed you too sweetheart"

"Des, who's at the door" her mother walked into the hall from the back of the house carrying a glass of water and a beaker for Alice. When Melissa looked at her and Valkyrie looked at her mother.

"Steph" her mother cried dropping the glass and beaker on the floor and ran to embrace her.

"Hi mum" she whispered into her mother's neck. Her father moved back to pick up Alice, "Hi Alice"

"Hi Steph" she mumbled around her thumb, pulling away from her mother, Valkyrie moved forward and held her hands out for her sister.

Desmond passed his youngest daughter over,

"Woah, you got big" Valkyrie joked hoisting her sister up on to her hip.

"Your hair is long" Alice pulled a strand of her hair and threaded it through her fingers.

"So is yours" Valkyrie laughed, Alice had the same colour hair she had, just not as long.

"I like it" she sister mumbled.

"Alice do you want to show Steph your new room" her mother asked smiling, she had both of her daughters back under the same roof.

"YES" Alice screeched down Valkyrie's ear. she put her down on the floor.

"Lead the way" Valkyrie laughed.

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**It's been a while... **

**I'm sorry, I really am. Enjoy!**

**reviews welcome :) **


	19. What If

Tanith wasn't used to people following her orders, or following her at all. so when she had an army of Cleavers to look after she felt a little out of her depth.

China continually said that she had every faith that she could do the job, but Tanith had her doubts. She'd fought a rogue Cleaver before and it wasn't nice. the first time she ended up with a spear through the back, then the White Cleaver was on their side, then it was trying to kill her again in the Cleaver Barracks.

In short it wasn't nice.

Now she could do what she pleased with them, she could ask the one she called Paul to make her a cup of tea or coffee. the reason she called him Paul was because y'know he looked like a Paul, Jeff looked like a Jeff.

"Paul, get me a cup of coffee please!" she shouted from her office. seriously she was a fighter not a pen pusher, she didn't do paper work. She wanted to be out there with her friends. Not here in this god forsaken box.

Since Val had come back she hardly got to see her, mainly because Val was with her family getting over the issuses she ran away form in the first place. But they were getting through it as best as could be hoped. Saracen and Vex started working for the Sanctuary again, taking up the roles of elder with China Sorrows as the Grand Mage.

Nothing seemed to be going wrong, no one was trying to bring back the Faceless Ones, no one was trying to destroy the world. Again in short it was boring.

Tanith reminisced when Paul brought in her coffee

"Cheers"

She remembered the time when she fought Billy-Ray for the first time outside Kenspeckle's labs in that dark alley, when he started picking on Val for the first time. or the time when Kensepeckle got possessed by a remnant and nailed her to a chair with a nail going through her collar bone, legs and hands. he'd brought her tea and cake when she was in bed rest because she couldn't stand properly for a few weeks even with the magic he used t fix her. every moment after that incident she'd been wary of the professor, not in a horrible way but it was just the thought of the frail looking man could cause so much pain.

She didn't have to do any paper work then, she left it all to Skulduggery he thrived off writing down how they caught the bad guy, Tanith and Valkyrie decided seen as he liked it so much he could do it all. but when she was off freelancing she had to do it all herself or no money for her.

Tanith did often wonder what her life would be like if she never trained to be an assassin. would she have a nice home? a family? would it peaceful? loud? exciting? if she'd never trained to be an assassin she would never have met Ghastly. never met Skulduggery and Valkyrie. she probably wouldn't have been possed my a remnant, but she didn't hold any grudges but she did hate the fact that she hadn't been there to protect Ghastly from the people he thought he could trust, that was the pain she went through everyday walking through the doors into work.

Shaking her head of them thoughts she went back to writing reports on the new Cleavers progress in training.

**Hello! know it been a while, but I've just moved house and only just got the internet back. :) I hope you like this one reviews welcome. I know much didn't happen, but you know it is what it is. **

**Thank you to everyone who follows my stories and profile it means a lot that you guys actually want to read the my scribbles. :) **


	20. The Ball

The Ball

_It's time to dance _China thought as she entered the ballroom. The ball in question was to celebrate life and death. Today was the tenth anniversary of Darquesse being sent away and defeated. Valkyrie had offered up Gordon's ballroom for their use.

So all day she'd been ordering buffoons around, trying to get the place at least a little bit presentable.

"No" she snapped at a youth who was moving the chocolate fountain "I told you to put it in the middle of the table! Not slightly to the left. I even drew the sigil so you could see where it has to go!" this went on most of the day China's porcelain face was growing redder and redder by the minute, until an English accent cut across the room.

"China" China pivoted and watched Tanith approach.

"Yes?"

"The cleavers are in place"

"Good" she let out a breath, at least something was going right. "Are you wearing _that_?" she asked surveying Tanith's outfit of skin tight brown leather.

"Why don't you like it?" Tanith smiled

"Dear, you're falling out of your top"

"I'm not, and it's called fashion" Tanith snipped.

"That isn't fashion" China replied in disgust.

"Maybe not in your world, but in mine it is" Tanith chuckled walking away.

"Gerrrer" China muttered under her breath, turning back to the idiot with the fountain.

Finally he positioned it right.

"Right. Now go before you mess up something else"

"Yes Grand Mage" the youth owed and scurried away, his head bent. She liked that her people wanted to please her, since her first day they'd been bowing to her.

Hours later China stood overlooking the flood of people in the ballroom. She'd seen a couple of her friends wondering about the hall, but she had yet to see Valkyrie.

"China" she heard a voice whisper behind her.

"Hello?" she asked in the darkness behind her.

"China it's me" Valkyrie whispered.

"Valkyrie what are you doing in the shadows, your meant to be in the ball room"

"China I can't"

"Why?" China demanded.

"Because I'm the reason all them people died, the whole point of this ball is to celebrate who survived and who died"

"Exactly, who survived and who died" China snapped "You survived did you not"

"Well yes, but-"

"Yes you did, and you will go out there and mingle with are fellows and celebrate"

"But-"

"No buts" China snapped, smoothing down her blood red dress she glided off into the crowd leaving Valkyrie in the doorway.

Taking a deep breath Valkyrie moved her hair out of her eyes and stepped into the ballroom. At first no one payed her any attention, but as she walked through the crowd looking for Skulduggery and the rest of her friends. She notice the odd person would turn and glance in her direction then do a double take and nudge the person stood next to them and nod in her direction. Eventually the whole room was looking at her, moving out of the way to make a path for her to walk through. They all looked at her, some glared, and some looked at her with admiration in their eyes.

She reached Skulduggery's side and he put his arm around her shoulder, while Tanith stood on her other side. She felt obligated to say something.

"Umm, Hi" she projected her voice so it flew across the room. "I've avoided things like this for the past ten years, in truth I've been too ashamed to face you all. I shouldn't have kept the face that Darquesse was part of me to myself for so long" she watched a ripple of emotion flick across the gathered crowds faces "If I'd told someone or everyone sooner, We could have been more prepared for her arrival and I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all the loved ones that have died. I've lost some close friends as well and I know how you feel. And don't mean to say this to be cheesy but it's true and I'm sorry, but she's gone now and isn't coming back"

One person at the back of the crowd started to slowly clap, eventually the rest of the room was applauding her.

"You did well" Skulduggery whispered to her as Tanith gave her a half hug.

"Fletcher's here" Tanith mused.

"And?" Valkyrie asked giving her friend a sly smile.

"News in town is that you two are hanging out again" Tanith teased.

"And?"  
"Just wondering if that's something more"

"Tanith!" Val giggled as fletcher walked up to them in his suit and tie, his hair still sticking up in odd angles – like normal.

"Umm, Val did you wanna dance?" Fletcher asked awkwardly.

"Umm Yeah" Skulduggery was talking to someone else and Tanith started to nudge her in the side raising her eyebrows. "Shut up Tanith" she took Fletcher's hand and he led her out onto the dance floor.

Tanith watched from the side lines as couples danced on the dance floor, she walked around the edge of the room to the table of memorial. There was a table of candles each one was a memory, enough of one each to all those at the ball.

Tanith picked up her candle and walked to the doors that lead outside, pushing out on to the lawn, she walked up to the little water fountain and sat down on one of the large rocks.

"Ghastly this candle is for you" she said to the air "You were my best friend and I've never really got over missing you. I hope you don't mind but I moved in to your place, the shops closed up now, tired sewing but you were always the tailor out of us" she took a breath looking down at the candle clasped in her hands "Being there reminds me of you"

"Thank you Tanith" Ghastly's voice drifted across the lawn.

"What?" Tanith's head snapped up, and there across the lawn plain as day was Ghastly Bespoke "Ghastly?" she whispered standing up.

"Yes" he replied smiling.

"You're here?" she started moving towards him.

"Yes" she ran at that, When she reached him she threw her arms around him, he wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry" she muttered over and over again in to his chest.

"It's okay" he muttered back.

She learnt back and looked up at him.

"How are you here?" she asked.

"Ask China" she looked in the direction of where he was gazing, and China stood on the steps of the doors Tanith had just left through.

China nodded her chin to her and Tanith nodded again.

"Thank you" Tanith whispered.

"I think it has something to do with the candles" Ghastly said.

"The candles?"

"I think there meant to be memory's, when someone takes one then the person they love the most that died ten years ago comes back through the candle to celebrate with them"

"And you came back to me" Tanith whispered, out of everyone he could have gone back to, he came back to her and that's all she could have ever asked for.

Ghastly cleared his throat and offered her his arm "Can I please have the honor of a dance"

she placed her hand on his arm and replied.

"Yes you may Mr. Bespoke" she smiled and the pair walked slowly back to the ballroom, taking about everything and nothing.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, can you believe it's been over a year since Skulduggery ended! it doesn't seem that long. **

**Have any of you read Demon Road yet?**

**Thank you for reading, reviews welcome. :) **


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